Oh, brother!
by My Cinderella
Summary: Zack and Cody suddenly get strange feelings...for each other! Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries too, but unlike his brother, falls...hard.
1. The Game

"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

**ENJOY EVERYONE!**

"He shoots, he scores!" Zack yelled as he leaped from Cody's bed and tossed the miniature basketball into the hoop.

"Hey! I just made that bed!" Cody complained, breaking from the heat of their game to fix his bed.

Zack frowned, "Aww come on, buddy. Loosen up a bit."

Zack swooped up the basketball from the floor and threw at Cody. As Cody turned around, the ball hit him in the head. Zack's jaw dropped then broke into a laugh.

"You're lucky that ball is made of plastic." Cody glared.

"Sorry, dude." Zack laughed.

Cody saw this as a chance to bring his score up in the game. He whizzed past Zack and flew in for the win.

"SCORE! OH YEAH! Who's the loser now?" Cody screamed. _That'll teach you to mess with Cody Martin!_

Zack's smile disappeared. "No fair! You caught me off guard." _Cheater._

"All's fair in love and war." Cody smiled proudly.

Zack rolled his eyes. They continued their game. Minutes and minutes went by as Zack and sometimes even Cody flew in the air to make a successful dunk. The score was finally tied.

"This is it, little brother. Can you handle the heat?" Zack said, breathing heavily.

"Bring it on!" Cody hissed.

Before Cody could react, Zack ran past him aiming for the win. Cody finally came to his senses and started after Zack. They stared each other down.

_I am so gonna win this one._ Was exactly the thought that escaped from these two.

_I wonder if I can jump on Cody's bed and make the shot…_Zack thought to himself as he eyed Cody's bed.

_I'll just take the ball after he shoots. He'll never make the shot from where he's standing. _Cody smiled.

The two eyes met and they stared each other down. Zack raised his eyebrow as Cody made the "bring it" gesture with his hands.

Zack faked a shot. "SIKE!" he yelled as he jumped on Cody's bed, off the bed, and headed for the win.

All that was heard was the sound of the squeaking mattress and Cody yelling "Zack!" angrily as Zack tossed the basketball.

The ball rolled around the rim of the hoop. Both twins watched the ball wobble, their eyes glued to the excitement. It was as if everything was paused when Zack leaped into the air and Cody waited near the hoop to retrieve the ball.

Before any of them could find out whether the ball made it in, Zack was sent crashing to the ground…well on top of Cody.

Zack rubbed his head. Cody cried out in pain as he tried to support his brother's weight on top of him.

But this time…something odd happened, something that the twins couldn't quite put their finger on. They looked at each once more. Zack suddenly felt his stomach bunch up in knots, as he watched Cody's cheeks flush beet red.

_What's happening to me? _They both questioned to themselves.


	2. Oh no, not again!

Chapter 2

"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

Zack shook out of the thought. _What am I doing? Cody's just…Cody!_

"Whoa! Way too close!" He said, shoving himself off of Cody.

Cody stood up and brushed himself off. "That was quite a game, wasn't it?" _Did that really just happen?_

"Yeah…I guess." Zack replied quietly.

There was an awkward pause as the two stood alone in the room. Zack: with the basketball still in his hand. Cody: brushing his feet along the sides of the carpet. Both trying their best to forget about the strange moment they both shared.

"Boys! Dinner's ready!" Their mother's voice was heard from outside of the room.

_Oh thank God. _Zack sighed in relief and zoomed out of the room. Cody followed, with quite a confused look on his face.

Carrey smiled as the twins walked over to the table and took their seats.

"So, how'd the basketball game go, guys?" She asked.

"It was alright. I kicked Cody's butt!" Zack squealed.

"Yeah, but I was close!" Cody said defensively.

"Was not." Zack said, rolling his eyes.

"I was too!" Cody replied.

"Alright, enough boys. Let's eat." Carrey spoke finally.

The fight died down and soon all that was heard was the clanging of the spoons against their plates and sipping of drinks.

"Guys…aren't you gonna try my new casserole?" Carrey asked, hopefully.

The boys eyed each other and nodded.

"Alright. We'll try some." They said in unison.

Carrey smiled happily.

Cody's hand moved up to meet the spoon that hung against the casserole plate, but instead it met Zack's.

_Oh no, not again._ Cody panicked.

Thinking the same thing, Zack drew back his hand quickly.

Cody's mouth slowly broke into a light smile.

"You go first, Cody." Zack said quickly. _I hope they didn't see me blush._

"Alright." Cody replied as he scooped up some of his mother's casserole. _Uh oh…there's that feeling again. I think my cheeks are heating up. Don't blush, don't blush!_

Cody took a deep breath. After Zack was sure that there wasn't going to be anymore surprises, he reached out for some casserole himself.

"How is it so far?" Carrey asked curiously.

"Pwetty gewd." The boys answered with food in their mouths.

Carrey smiled proudly.

"Oh, I just remembered. I have a performance tonight. I'll ask Maddie to baby-sit you guys, tonight. I'll be back by tomorrow morning."

The twins nodded and continued munching away silently at their dinner.

"Boy, you guys seem awfully quiet today. Something wrong?" Carey said with a confused look on her face.

Zack eyed Cody but quickly looked away when he sensed his brother were to look back.

"No, nothing's wrong, mom." Cody said softly.

"Yeah. We're just tired from the game, that's all." Zack replied.

"And hungry!" Cody added.

"Oh, alright." Carrey answered.

Carrey stood up from her seat and walked over to the phone. She punched in some numbers and leaned against the rim of the table.

"Maddie? Yeah it's Carrey. I need you to look after the boys—

Carrey's voice was heard in the background as the boys talked.

"Hey, Zack?"

"Hmm?" He replied stuffing a piece of chicken in his mouth.

"What do you think gym class is gonna be like tomorrow…ya know—

Zack wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"You mean, dodge ball? Dude, it's a piece of cake. You just take the ball and throw it at people!"

Cody played with his hands. "Oh sure, you make it sound so easy!" He cried.

"Well, it is! It's just like when I threw that ball at your head today." Zack smiled, thinking back at the thought.

Cody glared, but strangely he couldn't keep the facial expression like he was able to before. He didn't know what was happening but he couldn't help but smile.

Zack looked back at Cody. Seeing him smiling at him made him feel…all tingly inside. He felt his mouth curl in a smile in return but shook his head and immediately looked away.

_Could this really be happening? Could I…be falling for my brother!_


	3. Say you're sorry

Chapter 3

"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

After everyone was finished eating, they got up and washed their dishes at the counter. It was pretty quiet in the Martin's suite. Carrey was busy getting ready for a big performance and Zack and Cody were busy washing the dishes. Cody was washing and Zack was…well…supervising. Zack leaned against the counter, watching Cody scrub furiously at a piece of chicken stuck on a plate.

_Boy, am I really that cute?_ Zack thought to himself. _Wait…I just called Cody cute. _To break the thought, Zack gave himself a quick pinch, hoping no one else would notice.

_That's odd. Cody usually complains about how I don't do anything. He seems pretty quiet today._ Zack asked himself curiously.

"You sure you don't need help with that?" Zack questioned.

The sudden break of silence startled Cody, causing him to jump a little.

"Oh…uh…no. It's alright. I've got it." Cody said, trying to sound natural as he spoke.

Zack shrugged and walked over to unzip his backpack.

"Look what I snagged from Bob." Zack grinned.

Cody turned off the water, dried his hands, and walked over to see what Zack had taken this time. His eyes widened.

"The…h-horror house?" Cody stuttered.

Cody had never been a big fan of scary movies, but he didn't like to let his brother know that, just incase the word "wimp" were ever to come from his mouth.

"Weren't we watching, Crash?" Cody asked desperately.

"Yeah…but I took it back. The Horror house is SO much cooler!" Zack yelled as he waved the movie in the air.

"But but! I don't wanna see a sca—

Before Cody could finish, Zack's hand slapped Cody's mouth shut. He leaned in close just so it would be only Cody hearing everything he said.

"But…we can't let mom know. If she finds out we're watching scary movies, she'll ground us! Again!" Zack whispered

"You mean, she'll ground you." Cody laughed.

Zack took a pillow lying on the couch and bonked Cody over the head with it. Cody laughed some more and ran over to join the fight to the death.

"Ow! Don't hit so hard! It does hurt you know!" Cody cried.

"Ch. Don't be such a baby!" Zack answered back.

They continued the fight, but this time Zack was hitting a tad bit lighter, just a litttttle light so that Cody wouldn't notice he was backing down. Cody finally got a good hit at Zack's head.

"Oh no you di-nt." Zack said, moving his neck in a circular motion as he charged toward Cody.

Now, they were both on the ground. Wrestling each other, sometimes Cody was on top of Zack and other times Zack was able to pin Cody down, but not long before Cody was able to toss Zack to the floor again. Finally, Zack had the win. He pinned Cody to the floor and waved his hands in the air in victory.

"The crowd goes wild!" Zack hissed.

"Now…say you're sorry." Zack said as he held Cody's arms back from trying to thrust him off.

"If I don't, what are you gonna do?" Cody fought back.

"I'll continue to pin your arms to the ground until you do." Zack said smoothly.

"Oh…in that case. I'm not sorry." Cody smiled.

Zack gulped. He felt his cheeks flush and his grip on Cody loosening. There was definitely something wrong now.

_Why couldn't he look at Cody without feeling a sudden rush anymore? Why was it that every time his skin brushed Cody's he felt…different?_ Zack thought to himself.

_What did I just do? Was I hitting on my own brother?_ Cody shook his head furiously.


	4. Damn it!

Chapter 4

"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

Before any of them could react, Carrey's door clicked open.

"No wrestling in the house, boys." Carrey said as she struggled to put on a pair of golden chandelier earrings.

Zack and Cody scrambled to their feet.

"Maddie should be here any minute, now I want you guys to behave." She said calmly.

"We will." The twins said in unison, rolling their eyes.

As Carrey walked about the suite, her eyes were drawn to a small box that sat on their floor.

"Oh? What's this?" She asked, walking over to examine The Horror House movie box that Zack had left carelessly on the floor.

_Oh no! _Zack thought to himself.

He felt his heart beat quicken. _What am I gonna do!_

"MOM!"

Both Zack and Carrey jumped up from the shock. It was Cody.

"What is it, honey?" Carrey said, now turning her attention to Cody.

"Uhh…um…those shoes don't match with t-hat d-dress." Cody said, barely managing to choke out the last of his sentence.

Carrey immediately looked down at her feet.

"Oh my, you're right. I better go change." She panicked, and with that she hurried back into the safety of her room.

Zack let out a sigh of relief as he walked over to pick up the movie box.

"Thanks, dude. I owe you one." Zack smiled, giving his brother a good pat on the back.

Cody smiled back. _Anything for you._

"That was nerve wrecking! You better hide that before Mom comes back. I'm running out of excuses!" Cody exclaimed.

Zack nodded, stuffing the box under their living room couch.

"So that's where I left my lollipop." Zack replied, whiping out a dust covered lollipop.

"That's disgusting!" Cody cried.

"It's still good. I mean I can just wash it off—Cody cut him off.

"That lollipop has more dust on it than under your bed! Throw it away, you sicko!" Cody said with a disgusted face.

"Fine." _But just this once._

He pressed the button beneath the garbage can, causing the lid to fly open with a _swish_!

"Sorry I never got a chance to finish you." Zack began, slowly bringing the lollipop closer and closer to the garbage.

Cody rolled his eyes.

"I think I need a moment." Zack heaved as he turned his back, pretending to cry.

Cody shook his head, smiling. _Oh the cleverness of you._

The bedroom door swung open again. Carrey stepped out and smiled.

"What do you think?" She asked.

Zack spun around to face her and gave her an unenthusiastic thumbs-up.

Cody walked around the couch and studied his mother's outfit, bringing his hand to his face to form a thinking gesture.

"You're good. Way better than those purple striped shoes you had on." Cody said finally, pretending to shudder in disgust.

Carrey shook her head.

"My own son is giving me constructive criticism!" She laughed, headed towards the door.

"Be good. Love you!" She called out before she shut the door of the suite behind her.

"Love you." They yelled.

Zack waited until he could no longer hear his mother's footsteps. He turned back to Cody with a huge smile on his face, only a face Cody could determine.

"Uh oh. I know that look." Cody replied, backing away in fear.

"IT'S THE HORROR HOUSE TIME!" Zack cheered, running to the couch and ripping out the cushions so that he could reach the hidden movie box.

"But, what about Maddie?" Cody stammered, hoping that it would get Zack's mind off of the movie.

"Well…we'll just tell her Mom let us watch it." Zack replied coolly.

"Like she'll buy that." Cody said.

"Only one way to find out." Zack grinned.

"But, Zack! I don't like scary movies." Cody spoke softly.

Zack's face softened.

"It's alright, little brother. I doubt it'll be THAT scary." He said, walking over to put a comforting arm around Cody.

Cody smiled sheepishly and almost found himself leaning in closer to Zack. But he stopped himself—barely.

"Thanks, Zack." He grinned.

"No problem. I mean, we WILL be watching it together. So if you scream, I'll probably scream too." Zack laughed, then stopped.

"Wait…aww man. I picked a bad day to be Zack." He pouted.

Cody laughed. _What a cutie. That's got to be the cutest face I've—no! What am I saying? Stupid Cody._

Cody realized that Zack still had his arm around his shoulder. He turned a bright shade of red.

Zack turned to face Cody.

"Oh…sorry." Zack said softly, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Zack slowly took his arm away from Cody's shoulder.

Cody frowned. _Damn it!_


	5. It's Horror House time

Chapter 5  
"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

A/N: THIS CHAPTER DOES NOT INCLUDE MUCH ROMANCE. I AM AWARE. BUT A STORY HAS TO HAVE HUMOR, NO? BE PATIENT, MY READERS. THE LOVE IS YET TO COME.

"How about this? We won't watch the movie until Maddie gets here." Zack said, hoping that the moment they just awkwardly shared wouldn't change anything.

"Y-yeah. That sounds good." Cody agreed.

Zack plopped down and took a seat on their living room couch. Cody walked over and took a seat next to him.

Sharp clicking noises were heard as Zack flipped through the channels on television, hoping to find something they could watch.

"Sweet!" Zack said finally, resting the remote beside him.

"Funniest truck collisions?" Cody asked in disbelief.

"Ah ah ah! You forgot to read the headline." Zack corrected.

Cody rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry. Funniest truck collisions—2!"

The room went silent again as the twins watched with excitement, occasionally stopping to laugh at the stupidity they witnessed.

"Did you see?—

Zack would say through a roar of laughter.

"Hahaha yeah and the—

Cody replied, holding onto his throbbing side.

And then their eyes would quickly dart back to watch more television.

"Oh man, that is gold." Zack laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah." Cody smiled, looking over at Zack.

Suddenly, a knock was heard from the door of the Martin's suite.

"Come in!" The twins replied in unison.

"Hey guys." Maddie greeted as she walked into the suite.

"Oh hey Maddie." Cody answered back.

"Hey Maddie." Zack called.

"What cha guys watching?" Maddie asked curiously as she walked over to join them.

"Funniest truck collisions. No—nevermind." Zack said, watching as the credits rolled on the television screen.

"Oh! I love that show! The first time I saw it, my mom looked at me like I was some kind of psycho when she walked into the room." Maddie cried.

"Speaking of which—in the mood for some horror house?" Zack asked slyly.

"Uh oh." Cody uttered.

Zack handed the movie box to Maddie.

"This movie? You've got to be kidding me. My mom watched this last month and she STILL asks me to stay with her until she falls asleep." Maddie heaved.

"Aww…you two are babies!" Zack mocked.

"Am not!" Cody yelled. _I just don't like scary movies…_

"What he said! And it's not that. It's just…don't you think it's a little late to be watching that kind of movie?" Maddie added.

Before anyone could stop him, Zack snatched the movie box from Maddie and slipped the movie inside.

"Maddie, the lights?" Zack asked, baring the most cutest puppy dog face he could.

Maddie walked over and flicked the lights off.

"I can't believe you're dragging me into this." Maddie replied.

The bedroom door closed as Cody was seen coming outside with non other than his favorite childhood memory, Blankie.

Maddie and Cody took a seat on the comfy couch.

Zack pressed down the button on the flashlight and held it under his face.

"Are you ready to experience the scary night of your life?" Zack asked ghoulishly.

Cody whimpered. _No._

Zack laughed and joined the two on the couch. He happily took a seat next to Cody.

"Play." He whispered softly as he clicked the button on the remote control.


	6. Maddie? Where are you going?

Chapter 6  
"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

"_Frankie! No! Don't go into the basement!"_ The horrified girl displayed on the screen cried.

"Don't go, Frankie!" Cody yelled.

The children were all huddled together. Their mouths glued shut; their eyes wide open in fear.

None of them dared to move, afraid that the evil that haunted the characters in the story might haunt them as well.

It had only been the first half hour of the movie, and Zack could hardly balance himself by the amount of how much Cody was shaking.

But Zack was too paralyzed too say a word. So were the rest of them.

The room was quiet, almost too quiet. All that was heard was the flicker of the television and screams and whispers from the movie.

_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

The three flew up in fear.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Cody yelled back, burying his head into the safest place he could shelter himself.

…Zack's arms?

Cody didn't even realize that he had accidentally thrown himself into Zack.

"Oof." Zack replied.

Zack laughed nervously, smiled, and gently put Cody back in his proper position.

Cody smiled sheepishly. 

Although the room was quiet, he whispered low enough just so Zack could hear him.

"Sorry."

They immediately glanced over to Maddie, who was too preoccupied watching the tube to have notice what was going on.

Zack frowned. _Stop it, Zack. Stop flirting with your brother._ He would tell himself.

They continued to watch the movie in silence.

A scared Cody could be heard yelling out in fear, occasionally. It was either that or Zack or Maddie gasping with shock.

Maddie broke away from the movie and taped her watch.

"Holy cow! 9:00? You've got to be kidding me." Maddie thrashed.

"W-why? W-what's up?" Zack asked, drawing his attention to Maddie.

Cody slowly turned his head and nodded in curiosity.

Maddie sighed.

"Okay, just promise me you won't tell your mom, alright?"

"W-we promise." The twins agreed, trying to control their stutter.

"Well, I've been running a little low on cash this month, and I need all the money I can get. I figured if I worked 3 shifts: Candy counter, baby sitting you two, and catering at the Red diner, I could probably earn it all back. I know it's wrong. But I really need this money, guys." Maddie begged.

The boys looked at each other in fear. _Who was to watch the movie with them?_ It was far too late, Maddie was right. But…they had to help her.

"Alright. You go ahead. Don't worry." Zack said finally.

"Really?" Maddie asked excited.

"B-but—Cody began.

Zack elbowed him in the side.

"Ow! Well…yeah…I guess so." Cody agreed.

Maddie beamed.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She cried giving them tight hugs.

"And don't worry. I'll be back before your mom gets home. If anything, I think you guys should turn the movie off. I'm still shaking." Maddie replied, as she grabbed her stuff and headed toward the door.

Maddie had left.

"Smooth move, Zack! Now who's gonna keep up company until the movie's over." Cody shrieked.

"Don't worry. The movie isn't THAT scary. Besides, there's only a half hour left anyway." Zack lied.

"I guess you're right." Cody sighed, taking hold of Blankie once more.

They turned their attention back to the movie, and soon the room was back to it's quiet state.

"_Frankie? FRANKIE! YOU'RE A ZOMBIEEEEE!"_

A hideous monster attacked the screen.

The boys screamed with fear.

Zack quickly gripped Cody's hand for support.

Taken by surprise, Cody turned to Zack. Who indeed, had not notice what he had just done.

Cody's heart began to beat faster, to a point where he felt as if it were to break out of his body any second.

Cody curled his fingers into the empty spaces of Zack's and smiled.

Zack whizzed his head around slowly. He noticed it now. He stared at their joined fingers. He was speechless. His cheeks began to flush up all over again and the knots in his stomach were truly unbearable.

But Zack said nothing, and turned back to the television, hoping Cody wouldn't see the smile that had emerged on his face.

Before they knew it, the movie was over. In fact…they could hardly remember the ending of the movie.

But as far as they could tell, this was the happiest any of them had been for a long long time.

Zack had gotten pretty drowsy, he was practically falling asleep. He soon found himself tilting his body and leaning gently against Cody. He felt his eyes getting heavier and heavier…slowly but surely Zack had fallen asleep.

Cody smiled. At this point, Cody had lost control of his emotions. He no longer knew what was happening or what he was feeling. But he did know one thing.He needed Zack.


	7. Lay off!

Chapter 7  
"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

_5:30 AM – Zack and Cody's room_

Zack breathed in heavily and exhaustedly open his eyes. He found himself staring at the ceiling of their room.

_How'd I get here?_ He wondered.

_Eh, Maddie must've woken us up and told us to go to bed._ Zack assumed.

He was still half asleep either way. Zack released a yawn and attempted to roll over to check the time.

His body didn't respond.

He immediately turned around to see what the problem was exactly.

He suddenly realized that he had two arms wrapped around him tightly. He lifted up the fold of his blanket to find whisks of blond hair.

_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

Cody was sent tumbling to the floor, along with the heap of blankets.

Zack sat up.

"Cody! What are you doing in my bed?" He whispered.

Cody shook his head furiously and staggered to his feet.

"Uhh…I—Cody began.

Cody really did not know how he ended up in Zack's bed. The last thing he remembered was how he felt as Zack leaned his head against him. The urge to hug his brother tightly. He remembered how he fell asleep as well and Maddie woke them up and told them to go back to bed in their rooms. But certainly…Cody had no idea how to explain to his brother how this happened.

Zack checked the time.

"5:30? Dude, how long have you been sleeping in my bed?" Zack asked, curiously.

_Zack doesn't sound mad. _Cody thought.

"I…don't know. I guess…I got scared in the middle of the night and well…"

Zack raised his eyebrow.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah…" Cody replied.

"You do know you nearly gave me a heart attack, right?" Zack assured his brother.

Cody laughed, scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry."

"It's REALLY early. School doesn't start for another hour and a half. Wanna go back to bed?" Zack yawned.

"Yeah, I guess." Cody yawned in return.

They headed towards their beds.

Suddenly, there was a creek.

Cody jumped.

"Relax. It's just the floor…see?" Zack demonstrated, walking back and forth.

Cody nodded.

Zack sighed.

"Would it.—he started.

_I can't believe I'm saying this…_Zack screamed.

"Would it calm you down if you slept in my bed?" He finished.

Cody stared in surprised.

There was silence for a few moments.

"T-thanks, Zack." Cody said, finally.

Zack smiled and got into his bed.

"Just…lay off the hugging, alright?" Zack asked.

Cody blushed.

"I hear ya." He answered, crawling into Zack's bed.

Zack pursed his lips and shifted his body over to one side.

He felt awkward but safe.

He felt wrong but so right.

Zack couldn't sleep anymore.

The more he thought about it, the more curious he became.

He listened to Cody snoring lightly and occasionally wriggling to find a comfortable position.

For some odd reason, this was soothing to him.

He suddenly felt Cody shift once more, but this time Cody had moved a lot more closely.

He felt Cody's arms wrap around him once more as Cody snuggled his head into Zack's shoulder—a goofy face displayed on Cody's face.

And yet…Cody was still asleep.

Zack carefully turned his head to look at Cody. Again, he couldn't help but smile as he watched Cody sleep—smiling and hugging Zack tight almost as if it was all on purpose.

Zack found his body becoming less and less tense.

He felt his body begin to give in.

A part of him wanted to scream: _No Zack, you're not gay!_

But there was another side of him that had Zack's attention.

_Is it wrong to love your brother…more than a brother?_ He asked himself as he watched Cody snooze away.


	8. Cody? Are you alright?

Chapter 8  
"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

"Come on, Zack! Up and at 'em!" Mrs. Martin said, pulling the blankets from Zack's bed.

Zack moaned tiredly and curled his legs, trying to cover himself from the cool air that touched his body.

"Wake up! Cody's already dressed! School starts in an hour, Zack." Carrey scolded again.

Zack drew the pillow from under him and placed it over his head.

Carrey rolled her eyes.

"Cody, wake your brother up. I have to make breakfast for you guys." Carrey told Cody, and with that she walked off and slammed the door behind her.

Cody smiled slyly.

_My pleasure._

Zack was still buried underneath the white pillow. His body looked limp—almost dead but he could tell by the way the pillow moved slightly that Zack was still breathing.

Cody walked over to Zack's bed and looked down at Zack. He paused for a minute.

He nodded and bent down just so he was at Zack's level and began to tickle him.

Zack squirmed and broke into a laugh.

"Okay! Okay! I'm up!" Zack said as he slowly got up from his bed.

"Morning, sleepy head." Cody beamed.

Zack looked over at Cody and let out a groan.

"You couldn't just tell me to wake up like a normal person?"

Cody stayed smiling.

Zack shook his head and continued on his way to the bathroom.

When Zack had finished freshening up and getting dressed, he joined Cody at the table.

"What are we having?" Zack asked curiously.

"Waffles and orange juice." Carrey replied, as she brought over their plates and set them down.

Zack let out a yawn and blinked his eyes slowly.

"Nice of you to join us, sweetie." Carrey commented, walking over to give Zack a kiss on the head.

"Mm." Zack said bitterly.

Cody glanced over at Zack and smiled. Unlike his brother, Cody had definitely taken a liking to his brother even MORE. Even sitting next to Zack created butterflies in his stomach.

"Hurry up and eat you two, the bus is gonna be here in 15 minutes." Carrey warned.

Zack and Cody picked up their forks and dug in.

_At school – Physical Ed._

The coach sounded off his whistle. It echoed throughout the whole gym. The kids spun their heads around and the talking died down.

"As you all know, today is dodge ball week. You will be tested on your knowledge and on your skill. So, make sure you don't screw up. This counts for 20 percent of the marking period." He said coldly.

Zack smiled.

"Ha! Piece of cake. Hello, 20 percent." He commented, rubbing his hands together.

Cody whimpered.

He was no good at dodge ball, and every one knew it. As long as he stayed on Zack's team he'd be safe…he thought.

"I'm giving you 5 minutes to form groups. Think wisely they're gonna be your team for the rest of the dodge ball session." The coach interrupted.

The students shuffled about and the volume began to rise back to the level it started at. Cody ran quickly through the group of teens until he finally reached Zack.

"Zack—can I be on your team?" Cody asked desperately.

"But Zack, we're full. We don't have room for you brother." A tall kid, (who went by the name of Gizmo) answered.

Zack turned to face Gizmo.

"Yeah, I can make room anytime, Gizmo—you're out" Zack replied, patting him on the back.

Gizmo dropped his jaw in surprise then stomped off to the other end of the gym to find another team.

Zack looked and Cody and smiled.

"Of course you can, dude."

Cody smiled back, trying his best not to blush, and joined his brother with the rest of the team.

The sound of the whistle was heard once more.

"Okay okay, people. Settle down. I hope you have your teams. When I point to your group, I want you to give me a name or number you want to go by." The coach told.

Zack's eyes widened.

"Sweet! What should our name be?"

The other team members looked at each other and began to whisper ideas.

Cody made this thinking face, and didn't say a word for a few moments.

"How about Kudos?" Cody asked.

"How'd you come up with that?" Zack questioned curiously.

Cody shrugged.

"Martin!"

The twins spun around.

"Team name?" The coach said coldly.

Zack and Cody looked at each, then at the team, and then back at each other.

"K-kudos." Zack replied finally.

The coach nodded and scribbled down the name onto his notepad, then moved onto the next group.

Cody smiled proudly.

"Kudos—Zack?" A girl from their group asked in disbelief.

Zack shrugged.

"Like we had anything else in mind."

The sound of the whistle cut them off yet again and the coach flipped the pages of his notepad furiously.

"Now that we got the names, let's play ball!" He yelled.

His eyes traced each group name slowly.

"Mm…let's see who we'll have this week—Ah! Ravens and Kudos. You two are up." He called.

"Dude, that's us!" Cody exclaimed patting Zack on the back.

The two teams met at the center of the gym.

"You guys know what to do. I want a clean game, ya hear? Even though dodge ball is violent, I don't want any of ya hitting anybody in the face. Do I make myself clear?" Their coach lectured.

"Yes." The two groups murmured in unison.

"Take your positions and your dodge balls." He called once more.

The two teams separated.

Cody was shivering already!

"Cody. Are you seriously that scared?" Zack asked.

"N-no." Cody lied.

Zack frowned and took a good look at the rivaling team.

"Don't worry. They don't look that tough anyway." He assured his brother.

Cody nodded his head and tried not to think about it. He too, decided to examine the other team players. He saw Melissa, Megan, and Rachel. All very sweet girls, but they were good athletes as well. He always so Butch, Mike, Trevor and Liam—but they were more into the science club, just like him. His eyes stopped at the last person on the team before him…Gizmo.

Cody gulped in fear.

Gizmo stared coldly at Cody and squinted his eyes. It was almost as if Cody could see the flames flickering.

The gym grew silent as everyone watched the two teams about to play.

"On your mark…get set…GO!" The coach yelled.

The balls began to fly. Some pegged, some thrown, and some even tossed.

Zack was an expert in dodge ball—EVERYONE knew that. He was quick as a flea and threw faster than you could say "Ah!" He had already struck out half of the Ravens, but they put up a fight as well.

Cody on the other hand, seemed to be having a lot more trouble than the rest of his team mates. _Whoa, this is harder than it looks!_ He screamed as a dodge ball came flying towards him. But Cody got lucky and moved out of the way before it hit.

The game continued and the Kudos were losing their team mates. Even Ryan, the most athletic guy on the basketball team seemed to have lost his touch.

But luck must have been with them, because Zack and Cody were still in the game.

But unfortunately for Cody, so was Gizmo.

There were only 3 people left on each team.

Zack, Cody, and Minnie on the Kudos team.

Charley, Rachel, and Gizmo on the Ravens team.

They stared each other down and gripped the dodge balls in their hands.

_You're going down._ Zack mouthed to Charley, a long time enemy ever since first grade.

The end was near as they finally flung their dodge balls, each putting up a good throw, but Gizmo's hit big time.

Poor Cody was least to expect it when Gizmo had flung a powerful swing, which smacked Cody right in the nose.

Cody cried out in pain and slapped his hands over his nose.

The coach blew his whistle to stop the game.

Everyone dropped their dodge balls to see if he was alright.

Zack spun around the quickest and ran over to his brother.

"Cody! Are you alright?" He asked, worried.

Cody removed his hands to reveal a blood stained nose.

Zack turned to face Gizmo.

"You fucking asshole! What the fuck did you do?" He asked angrily as he guided his brother to the bathroom.

"Come on, Cody." He said softly as they let the gym doors slide behind them.


	9. What a jerk

Chapter 9  
"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

I was kinda inspired by all the other stories but don't worry. This story isn't going to be as perverted as it sounds. I'll leave the sexual stuff out of it. But as of now, this is Zack and Cody's story…fictional one, that is!

"Ouch ouch ouch!" Cody cried, as Zack pressed the ice against Cody's nose.

"Sorry, bro." Zack apologized.

"Don't forget to fill out the injury report when he stops bleeding, alright boys?" Mrs. Mackie, the school nurse replied.

Zack nodded as he watched Mrs. Mackie walk over to the next room to help another patient.

Zack turned his attention back to Cody.

"I can't believe Gizmo would do that…he's a jerk." Zack huffed under his breath.

"Aww...dun say tha. It wah an acseeden." Cody tried to assure him while adjusting to the ice packet.

"Martin." A familiar voice called from the front of the nurse's office.

The two spun their heads to find their coach standing stiffly beside them.

"How's he holding off?" He asked.

"Pweety Kay." Cody answered himself.

_Does he look okay, you dingbat?_ Zack rolled his eyes.

The coach took a deep breath and went on.

"That was some commotion you caused in my gym, Zack."

Zack heaved.

"Yeah—sorry about that." Zack replied coldly.

Zack watched as their gym coach snatched the pen from the desk and began to fill out a piece of paper.

"What's that?" Zack asked curiously.

"Detention slip and peer mediation. I'm putting you and Gizmo in there before things get out of hand." He spoke.

Zack scrunched up his eyebrows in disbelief and stood up.

"Are you serious?"

"Afraid so, son. You see, if you were calm like Cody over here, it wouldn't be a problem. But I've known you for 3 years, Zack—that's why." And with that, he stuffed the paper into Zack's hands and left.

Zack stared at the paper, dumbfounded.

_Great._ He thought to himself.

"Sowwy, Zah." Cody managed to say.

Zack's face softened and curled into a smile.

"Eh, don't worry about it. What are a few days in peer mediation?" He replied, slipping the paper into his pocket.

"Did it stop bleeding yet?" Zack asked, trying to change the subject.

Cody slowly lifted off the pack of ice. He gently brought his fingers to his nose and tapped it lightly, then brought then back to see if any blood had followed.

"Yeah." Cody answered, setting down the bag of ice.

Zack nodded in reply and slid the report paper in front of them.

"Do you wanna write it or…do you want me to?" Zack turned to face Cody.

Cody shrugged.

"Whatever you want."

"Alright, I'll write it." Zack added.

Cody laughed.

"That'll be the only time you write anything!"

Zack smiled.

"I have my moments, little brother."

_At the Martin's suite_

Cody ticked his pencil rhythmically against the table. He licked his lips in frustration as he tried to crack the math homework their teacher had given them. Meanwhile, Zack was busy squirming on the couch as he vigorously pressed the buttons on the controller.

"Take that, Dr. Evilator!" Zack yelled, standing up from the excitement of the game.

"Aren't you gonna start on your homework?" Cody asked, monotone.

"My what—oh! Yeah…I'll just copy it from you." Zack shot back, his eyes still glued to the game.

Cody sighed.

"So how do you think mom will take what happened at school today?" Zack spat.

Cody frowned.

"I don't know really. Hopefully she doesn't take it THAT bad."

The door suddenly flew open. It was Carrey. It was quite a funny sight really. It was as if Carrey wasn't even there, on the count that her head was buried behind bags and bags of groceries. Carrey staggered to the counter and dropped her bags.

"Cody, honey, are you alright?" Carrey exclaimed, as she drew her son into a hug.

"Um phine mom. You're sqeeshin e." Cody choked.

Carrey released her grip on Cody and lifted his chin up.

"I heard that you had a bad nose bleed." She commented, examining Cody's nose like a hawk.

Cody gently pushed his mother's fidgety arms away.

"Mom, I'm fine. It was just a little nose bleed." Cody replied.

Carrey ran her fingers through her son's blonde wispy hair.

"Just try to be more careful next time, sweetie." She said.

Zack put down his controller softly, trying not to draw any attention.

"And as for you…" Carrey shot, crossing her arms.

Zack shut his eyes.


	10. Bad news

Chapter 10  
_"Oh Brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling hard. All thoughts and settings are written in italics.

_I am so sorry for not updating, dudes. What has it been a year? I guess I've just been slacking. Alright, here's a new chapter for you guys. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy!_

"What on earth were you thinking, just going up to Gizmo and punching him in the face?"

Zack sighed, "Mom, you don't understand--

"You could've gotten hurt!" She exclaimed, ignoring his attempts to explain the situation.

"But I was only doing the--

"Oh! I'll tell you what you weren't doing, you weren't thinking, thats that you were doing!"

"Would you just let me talk for one second?!" Zack screamed, feeling his blood start to rush to his cheeks.

Cody watched silently as he sat on the couch. It was almost as if it were a tennis ball game, back and forth, back and forth. He felt a sudden swarm of guilt at the pit of his stomach and buried his head in his hands. He was so confused.

"When did Zack go out and punch Gizmo? Why didn't Zack tell me?"

Both mother and son continued to spat. Soon, it was almost in possible to hear anything that came out of their mouths.

"Just trying to protect--

"Could've been expelled--

"I knew what I was--

"NO YOU DID NOT!

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT I--

"ARE YOU USING A TONE--

All this yelling was making it impossible to do anything. It was almost as if Cody couldn't even hear himself think. He hated to see Zack get yelled at. And yet, he couldn't help but feel he needed to hear Zack's side of the story as well. He felt his fist clenched as he began to rise from the couch. Suddenly, the door flew open, almost like an answer to Cody's prayers. Cody was the first to see who had arrived at the door while Zack and their mother continued to argue, not aware of the guest that had just arrived. Cody's heart jumped, it was...

"DADDY!" Cody shrieked in both relief and excitement as he ran to the door.

Kurt hugged his son warmly and advanced to the bickering couple.

"Woah. Woah. Carrey. Calm down. Whats all this about?" He asked.

The two immediately ceased their fighting as soon as they heard the familiar voice.

"Oh thank God." Zack thought to himself, rubbing his throat as he joined Cody next to the door. He turned to Cody and smiled softly, only to get a look of confusion in return. They looked away.

"What are you doing here, Kurt? I thought you were supposed to be on your big tour with the 'boys'." She exaggerated, still a tad out of breath from the argument.

"I am. But I got a call from the school about a certain fight..." He answered, glancing slowly at Zack.

Zack smiled weakly, giving his father a tiny wave. Carrey crossed her arms.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my kids."

"Carrey...they're my kids too."

"Could've fooled me--

"I CAN'T TAKE ALL THIS FIGHTING ANYMORE! JUST STOP IT!"

The sudden outburst made everyone in the room jump. It came as a surprise to everyone who turned around to see Cody, red in the face with anger.

"I'm sick of all of this arguing. It wasn't Zack's fault, mom. He was...only trying to look out for me." He said unsurely.

Zack nodded approvingly.

"Wait, can somebody fill me in on what exactly happened?" Kurt shrugged.

"Care to tell your father, Zack?" His mother replied coldly.

Zack rolled his eyes and huffed. "Punched a kid in face."

Kurt's eyes widened, almost as if he was in a way, very proud. He tried to cover it up with a cough.

"Eh-hem. I see."

BRINNNNNG! BRINNNNNG! The phone shook impatiently. Carrey broke away to answer it.

The boys seeing an opportunity to breathe took a seat on the couch. Kurt leaned into his son closely.

"So did you win?" He asked eagerly.

"What?" Zack asked surprised.

"Hes not mad?"

"You know...did you teach him a lesson?" His father pressed.

"You betcha." Zacked laughed quietly.

"Atta boy!" Kurt whispered, patting his son on the back.

"Out of all the things, you had to punch him in the face." Cody sighed.

"Hey. The kid hurt my brother. Like I'm about to just let that kinda thing go." Zack smiled.

Cody crinkled his nose in response. Luckily, their father had taken a second to answer a call as well. It wasn't more than 30 seconds long, but hey, if it gave Zack and Cody their privacy. They couldn't hate it.

Kurt cleared his throat once more.

"Alright. If anything, I gave you boys a very...mean and...manly lecture. Got it?"

"Got it." The boys laughed.

"Yes, I understand. Uh huh. I see. Yes, I'll be sure to tell him that. Thank you again. Alright, buh bye." Carrey answered quickly as she put the phone back on its receiver. By the looks of it, the news wasn't very good. It was almost as if most of the color had left her face.

She took a deep breath and braced herself for she was about to break some very bad news.

"Zack...honey..."


	11. Anger Management

Chapter 11  
_"Oh Brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling hard. _All notes, thoughts and settings are written in italics._

_A/N: Wowie, I almost thought this story was a goner, didn't you? After looking over my reviews, I thought it would be quite selfish if I didn't continue, so my apologies and thank you for all your reviews! Take this good or bad, but you might notice a change in my way of writing compared to how I used to write before (slightly!) Anyway, enough babble. Here is a slightly LONGER chapter for all you awaiting readers. :)  
_

"Zack...honey..." Carey murmured, almost more to herself than to her son.

Zack whipped his head to face her, surprised at the sudden change in his mother's tone.

"Yeah, mom?"

Her eyebrows scrunched in frustration as she searched for the right words.

"That was the principal…Gizmo's mother called and she threatened to press charges. Apparently, you might have broke his nose when you decided to go on with your little act…"

Zack twitched. _Press charges…that wimp had to get his mother involved, didn't he? _He didn't even recall punching Gizmo all that hard, but it was hard to tell when your head was full of a bunch of red haze.

There was a long silence and it seemed that Kurt didn't even have anything to say as they waited for her to continue.

"The principal said that he could try to pull a few strings to try to avoid the charges. Suspension…or expullsion—

Kurt sprang from the couch immediately.

"They're gonna try to expell MY kid just for punching someone in the face? Man, when I was his age, we got into trouble that was twice as worth and got away with it, too!"

Carey flickered her eyes at her ex husband, she too, trying to contain her frustration…although doing a much better job.

"They said it might be better if you went away for a while, honey…to…let things calm down." She added.

"WHAT?! WHY!? So, I kicked him off the team, BIG DEAL! And if he didn't decide to throw a ball at Cody's face, maybe I wouldn't have had to punch him!" Zack defended, thumping his hand which was now balled into a fist agaisnt the coffee table in front of him.

Carey sighed, making Cody shift uncomfortably in his seat as he anxiously waited for her to decide the fate that lied for his brother.

"Gizmo isn't like you, Zack. You may not see this as a big deal, but to him, it is!"

She paused a moment before she continued. "Gizmo has anger management problems…and he nearly deafened a student at his old school, according to his mother. I just don't think it'll be safe for you two to be in the same classes for a while."

"What are you trying to say, mom?" Zack snapped, hardly aware of how rude he was being.

Cody cringed upon hearing his brother's unfamiliar harshness.

"…I think you should leave Buckner for a while, honey. At least until Gizmo forgets about this little mishap. I'm sorry, Zack, but I am not gonna allow some _woman_ to press charges agaisnt you and have you under probation like…some kind of animal!"

Cody's mind was spinning quicker than a washing machine upon hearing the words escape from his mother's mouth. He glanced quickly over to Zack to see that his expression was unreadable. His lips had pulled together to form a tight line, oh how he wished that he could somehow make the smile reappear.

Cody opened his mouth to speak, but much to his dismay, nothing came out.

"So what am I supposed to do? Stay at home until things 'clear up'?" Zack scruffed sarcastically.

Carey's eyebrows scrunched up in thought as she turned her eyes away from her son. From what Cody could see, she seemed to be deep in thought.

"Carey." A voice called, coming out much softer than the last time it had spoken.

"Hm?" She hummed, not taking her eyes off of the imaginary target that held her focus.

"A word." Kurt blurted, coming off more as a command as he took her gently by the arm and led her outside.

The door closed with a quiet _click_ and the twins were left alone once more.

Cody sat quietly next to his brother, afraid that the slightest motion would set him off. Zack's fist remained unchanged on top of the table, Zack's expression however, was as hard as stone.

"I'm sorry, Zack." Cody choked as he tried to use what was left of his voice.

This time, Zack did not respond. The familiar curling of a smile was gone. The softening of his eyes gone along with it. Cody's heart ached. _Was he mad? _

Little did Cody know, that there was more going on in Zack's mind than he would let show. A thousand thoughts seemed to fly into his head at once and he could not think straight. Staying home couldn't be that bad, but from the looks of it, he was sure that home wasn't exactly the place where he'd be staying. He really _would_ have to go away. Away from the Tipton, away from his mom…away from Cody.

The two continued to sit in silence, a raging battle burning inside the both of them, as they waited for their parents to return.


	12. Frozen in time

Chapter 12  
"_Oh, brother!"_

**Summary:** Zack and Cody may be having a little more trouble on their hands than they thought when they start getting strange feelings…for each other? Reluctant to believe the truth, Zack tries his best to resist. Cody tries to meet his brother's standards but ends up falling…hard. _All thoughts and settings are written in italics._

It seemed as if hours had passed until Carey and Kurt had reappeared into the room. A familiar click was heard as Carey strut stiffly back inside, an awkward looking Kurt following her. Cody instantly turned his head, nearly falling off the couch as he anxiously waited for one of his parents to speak.

Zack, on the other hand, merely shifted his position, reclining back as he folded his arms across his chest. He seemed to have barely notice that his parents were standing across from them, fidgeting quietly like children who had been caught eating the glitter and were now waiting for their punishment.

An awkward silence quickly spread across the apartment and not a moment sooner, Carey cleared her throat, her eyes moving to meet Kurt's. Cody's jaw clenched as he felt his impatience start to boil agaisnt his skin, he looked from his parents, who looked like they had swallowed something bitter, to his brother, face still expressioness, as if what they had to say was about as interesting to him as a stump of wood. (He wouldn't have been surprised if Zack was more amused with the stump of wood, actually.)

"Are you two planning to talk any time soon?" Cody asked curtly and for a moment, it seemed that HE was the only responsible adult in the room.

Carey let out a sigh and her shoulders seemed to drop along with it.

"Cody's right. Kurt, we can't stall this forever." She concured, turning to him for support.

Kurt shuffled uncomfortably, stuffing his hands behind his back pockets as he inhaled deeply.

"Zack, your mother and I agreed that it would be a good idea if you came with me on the road for a while." He blurted, keeping his gaze on his oldest-son-by-10-minutes.

Cody felt his heart sink. _Away on the road with Dad? For how long? Would he be coming back? I can't believe mom's approving of this, she hates..._a billion questions began to drill inside Cody's head at once like an annoying buzz and he shook his head furiously to supress them as he tried his best to listen to the REAL voices that were speaking. He heard the sound of the leather couch wrinkling as Zack adjusted his position once more.

"You want me to leave, mom?" He whispered, hands still folded across his chest as his eyes reluctantly turned to Carey.

Carey's face softened and she took a step closer to Zack.

"Of course I don't want you to leave, honey…but it's the only thing we can think of." She admitted, making room for herself on the couch as she wrapped her arms around her son.

Zack pushed them away reflexively, rose to his feet and nearly tripped over Cody as he marched silently to the twins' room, letting the door slam with uneccessary force.

Silence fell upon them once more and the room began to spin in Cody's head. He massaged his temples, hoping that his parents wouldn't notice the war that was beginning to rage in his head.

Carey was left on the couch flabbergasted, not knowing what to say as her hands were left slightly raised as if still embracing Zack. Kurt sighed, shaking his head as he let his eyes fall to the floor.

"This is gonna be harder than I thought."

Niether of them said a word and Carey seemed to have frozen to ice.

"I'll talk to him." He murmured and with that walked quietly to find his son at the opposite end of the room.

And when Kurt had vanished out of her frame of vision, Carey sobbed, wrapping her arms around her other son as she sought comfort. The force of her sudden outburst caught Cody by surprise and he could do nothing more than stiffly hug his mother in return.

Cody felt his body tense when he heard his father asking for permission to enter the room. He felt a numbness rush over him as the door opened for a split second and it nearly crushed him when he heard the door reclose as the sounds of Carey's wet sobs drowned out his thoughts.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
_The Twins' bedroom  
_  
Zack slammed the door heavily and when he was sure that everybody in the other room had heard it, walked over to sit on his bed. He couldn't believe that they were actually thinking of sending him away!

_I mean, I know mom would've kicked me out eventually but not until I was at least in jail or something!_ He screamed to himself, catching sight of something orange on the floor.

He hopped off the bed and took the ball into his hands, allowing it to rotate between his fingers. Before he knew it, Cody had rejoined him in the room and they were now head to head.

"_This is it, little brother. Can you handle the heat?" Zack said, breathing heavily._

"_Bring it on!" Cody hissed._

_The two pair of eyes met as they stared each other down. Zack raised his eyebrow, carefully taking in the "bring it on" gesture that Cody was now mimicking._

_Zack faked a shot. "SIKE!" he yelled as he jumped on Cody's bed, off the bed, and headed for the win._

_All that was heard was the sound of the squeaking mattress and Cody yelling "Zack!" angrily as Zack tossed the basketball._

Zack smiled to himself as he replayed the scene over in his head. He wondered what it would be like to be away from home…for a few days? Months? Years? Zack had been on the road with his dad before and remembered how he had gotten homesick no more than a few hours after sneaking on the bus!

He didn't want to leave. He was happy…now more than ever. But this was a different happy. A feeling that he had never felt before and he knew that it was wrong. _Maybe I SHOULD go with dad for while..._he thought to himself. And then he recalled the look on his mother's face. It was pained and he had been the reason for it. He knew that he had made it seemed that he didn't care, but truly, he was falling apart. He would do this…he would go with his dad, for mom, for Cody. His heart ached at te thought of the name and he tried to shrug it off but he was unsuccessful. There was an abrupt tap at the door and his father's voice called from the other side of the door.

"Zack…?" It ushered quietly.

Zack didn't answer but now turned his attention to the closed door.

"Son, it's me, open the door…" It tried again and it seemed more like a question than a command.

Reluctantly, Zack took a step forward, and then another until his hand finally curved around the base of the knob. He rid his face of any sign of distress and tried to look angry…hopefully, his dad would buy it. He jerked the knob quickly, just enough to open a crack in the door and retreated back to his post…ready to face his fate.


End file.
